Greetings from Cupertino, California, where the temperature has cooled down to a far more reasonable 101 degrees. It’s a nice change from the 109 degrees we hit here on Tuesday. I’m out here this week for the big Apple event. There was no robotics news to speak of, but that’s why we’re coming to you a day late with Actuator. I’ll try not to make a habit of it.

We’ve got an interesting selection of robotics news this week. It’s a testament, really, to how broad this field has become in recent decades. But first, let’s start with a couple of familiar companies. I wanted to call out this bit from Kirsten’s recent piece about Uber deploying Nuro’s autonomous sidewalk for Eats' food deliveries:

I’m highlighting this for two reasons:

1. It’s just objectively funny, refunding an accidental robot tip.

2. It’s an important reminder of all the unexpected knock-on consequences of implementing new technologies.

Image Credits: Nuro

It’s a good opportunity to put yourself in the position of an Uber Eats customer (a position many of us have no doubt been in more than a few times over the course of the last 2.5 years). Picture this scenario: You put in an order for one of those massive mission-style burritos from your favorite neighborhood taqueria. As you wait for that massively dense cylinder of guacamole and beans, consider this: Who would you rather see at the door? A robot or a human being?

No judgment. There are a lot of things to consider. First and foremost is the novelty factor. This is something I discuss a lot with people who make food robots like Flippy. There’s a tangible bit of excitement there, seeing your pizza or hamburger being made by a robot for the first time. Of course, such things wear off fairly quickly and suddenly the product’s worth comes down to its efficacy. I suspect for a lot of people, there’s going to be a genuine bit of excitement the first time one of these little robots pulls up to their door.